As an equal member of the EU, Greece does not need to ask permissions from anyone to let the Greek people speak and have their voices heard, PM Tsipras told his parliament, promising that the state’s sovereignty and future will be decided via referendum.

Referendums have been used all across Europe as a way for people to directly express their will and have their voices heard, and Greece is fully in its right to conduct one PM Alexis Tsipras said during a late-night debate in parliament.